Parras Handbook

Location

Parras is located about 160 km from both Torreón and Saltillo in the state of Coahuila. The norther border of Coahuila accounts for a 512 km stretch of the Texas-Mexico border, with Parras being 468 km from Laredo, Texas. Coahuila also borders the Mexican states of Nuevo León to the east; San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas to the south; and Durango and Chihuahua to the west.

Natural Setting

Parras is a desert oasis. The striking natural beauty of Parras offers many outdoor activities such as exploring caverns, mountains, rivers, and swimming in large pools formed from underground springs. Parras is the home of 400-year old adobe houses aqueducts, pecan orchards, cactus farms and the first winery in the Americas, founded in 1597.

• Altitude: 1,520 meters above sea level
• Latitude: 25° 26’
• Longitude: 102°11’

Economics

According to Asociacion de Ejecutivos de Relaciones Industriales Coahuila Sureste, A.C. 2005, the minimum wage in Parras is $42.11 pesos per day (not including benefits). With a exchange rate of 11 pesos per dollar, the minimum wage in Parras is less than $4.00 per day.

Climate

Parras de la Fuente, although surrounded by the desert, rests on underground streams that engender a perfect Mediterranean climate. In addition, the summer, hotter months have the highest rainfall, resulting in many agricultural and appropriate technology possibilities.

Parras	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Temperature (oC)	13.8	15.0	18.3	21.3	25.0	25.2	25.2	24.0	22.1	19.5	17.1	13.8
Monthly Rainfall (mm)	16.4	10.0	16.7	11.3	26.6	44.3	72.3	59.4	58.0	21.1	14.8	15.5

Phone Calls

Phone calls within Mexico are expensive. Using VOIP such as Skype can reduce your 10 pesos/minute calls to the USA down to .2 pesos/minute, albeit with a decrease in call quality and the necessitation of computer access.

Some information on phone numbers and calling cards follow, in addition check out tomzap for some more information].

To dial the US from Mexico

• Dial 001-areacode-phonenumber

To dial Mexico from the USA

• Dial 011-countrycode-areacode-phonenumber
  • 52 is the country code for mexico
  • 842 is the areacode for the state of Coahuila, in which Parras resides
  • Mexico phone numbers are seven (in someplaces eight) digits long
  • Parras home numbers usually start with 422
• So to dial a Parras home number from the USA dial 011-52-842-422-####

To dial Parras from Mexico

• Dial 01-842-422-####

Dialing Parras in Parras

• Dialing a home phone
  • Dial 422-####
• Dialing a cell phone
  • Dial 044-842-422-#### (the 044 is omitted when dialing a mexican cellphone long distance)

Publico Phone Card

• Can be used in public phones that take a card (the majority of public phones)
• The 100 peso card yields 25 pesos additional free
  • 1 peso/minute local (non cellphone) calls
  • 4 pesos/minute domestic long distance (including cell phones)
  • 10 pesos/minute to the USA
  • If you have a card that is cheaper (I know somewhat cheaper ones to the USA exist), please post the details here.

Casa Phone Card

• These cards have a scratcher number
• You can use this as a per use card or add all of the money to your home phone
• The directions on my card for per use dialing are:
  1. Dial *4001*
  2. Dial the long number from the box you previously scratched off
  3. Dial your destination number

To dial Mexico with Skype

• Skype calls within Mexico cost less using Skype than with a public phone card.
  • +52-AreaCode-Prefix-#### (e.g. +52842422-#### for Parras, don't forget the plus sign!)
• Skype is particularly less expensive for dialing mobile phones
  • Do not include the 044 prefix when dialing a mobile phone with Skype. Use the identical format as above (+52-AreaCode-Prefix-####).

Travel to, from and within Parras

By Plane to Parras

1. Fly to Monterey (MTY)
2. Take a taxi (expensive ~200 pesos) to Soriana Colon (see bus depature times)
   • Soriana is the name of the large store on a big road named Colon
     • If you go there please take a picture and post it here
3. Take the bus to Parras
   • The bus to Parras is at the righthand side (when facing the storefront) of the parking lot
   • The bus leaves at 10AM and 6:30PM daily
   • 100 pesos, ~3 hours

By Plane from Parras

• The ticket office is in a Dulceria on Reforma between Ramos Arizpe and Allenda
  • If you go there, please pick up a schedule and post the information here

Parras Taxis

The normal fee for town center travel is 20 pesos in the daytime and 25 pesos at night. For between 20 and 50 pesos one can get pretty much anywhere in Parras.

Taxi numbers in Parras

• 422-2600
• please list more taxi numbers

Important Contact Information

Universidad Tecnológica de Coahuila
Calle Madero #78
Phone: (842) 422-3313

Humboldt State University
1 Harpst St.
Arcata, CA 95521-8299
Information: (707) 826-3011
HSU Police: (707) 826-3456 (They have our US emergency contact information)

Dr. Francisco Javier de la Cabada
fd1humboldtedu
HSU Phone:(707) 826-3345 

Dr. Lilianet Brintrup
lib1humboldtedu
HSU Phone: (707) 826-3123 

Lonny Grafman
parrashumboldtedu
HSU Phone: (707) 826-3649

Links

• What to pack - Parras particpant made list of what to pack
• Parras Contracts - Not yet posted
• Travel tips from the USA government
• Parras Maps